GUN: Favorite Pleasures (ROCK): review / opinion to read on Music Waves

In spite of a particularly troubled existence, GUN has not been absent from the scene for so long as the official dates of its split between 1997 and 2008 might suggest. Indeed, even during this period, the Scottish combo has reformed several times for different occasions. In short, if we are not here to go back over the history of the band from Glasgow, this little reminder however highlights the vital importance of the Gizzi brothers who have always managed to keep their band alive against all odds with a determination and an independence typical of the inhabitants of the north of Hadrian's wall. After a "Break The Silence" (2012) marking a very successful comeback and a "Frantic" (2015) that went unnoticed although still talented, the quintet comes back with a "Favorite Pleasures" that will still cause headaches to the Cartesian minds used to classify the musical formations in specific styles.

Often classified in the so-called hard-rock genre, GUN has often felt limited, and even more so since their official comeback. With this new opus, they seem to be moving away from it almost definitively. Indeed, apart from the AC/DC guitars of the Beastie Boys cover '(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party)', and a groove like The Cult on 'Take Me Down' or 'Black Heart', all the rest of the songs are in rock territory where the borders seem to have been erased. From the introductive and nervous 'She Knows' to the moving ballad 'Boy Who Fooled The World' interpreted in piano-voice, the colors are varied without the coherence being really damaged. And yet, the shifts are endless between the 70's glam of 'Here's Where I Am', the rock-funk of an irresistible eponymous title, the British pop of 'Silent Lovers' with sunny accents worthy of Madness, or the very Stonian rock of a terribly efficient 'Go To Hell' with theatrical and sarcastic vocals.

The performance of Dante Gizzi is to be highlighted as the vocalist proves to be a perfect master of ceremony, wonderfully assisted by his brother Jools who multiplies the unforgettable riffs and the luminous soli. The singer gives all the colors and all the depth which each title needs by translating the adequate emotions on each occasion. His performances allow then to marry freshness and melancholy on 'Without You In My Life', to translate the bitterness of a 'Tragic Heroes' yet catchy with its guitar intro worthy of U2, or to show a sensitivity all in reserve on the delicate 'Boy Who Fooled The World'. All these variations manage to capture the listener throughout the album, even if the three tracks of the special edition turn out to be a must have and yet more classic for the band.

Unlike many bands whose comeback has often meant capitalizing on an identity acquired during their heyday, GUN prefers to continue to evolve and demonstrate an independence that allows them to constantly discover new territories. Although each track has the profile of a potential hit, it is not certain that the non-conformism of the Scottish combo opens the doors of a success which flees from them after a more than promising start. Fortunately, the true amateurs of an authentic and uncompromising rock will not fail to offer to "Favorite Pleasures" the recognition it deserves with an acknowledgement worthy of its talent. - Official website

GUN

FAVORITE PLEASURES

AUTRE LABEL

ROCK